Spent 3 hours on the phone with a US Airways agent. I had my flight numbers, cities, all info all ready ... first class (or business) found in every segment, I was phyched! She put me on hold twice for 45 minutes talking with her supervisor, and the final answer was she and the super didn't realize that only 4 segments are allowed ... I had PHL-LAX-ICN-BKK-SIN-JNB. I was planning a 2 day layover in BKK to explore the city.

Does anyone know of any routes to get to JNB in less? I don't mind cutting out some of the in between cities, but would still like to stop over in one of them. I can adjust my Asian cities to others - happy to just experience any of them!

Keep in mind PHL to West Coast (LAX, SFO, SEA, YVR) would be one segment .... so I guess I'm asking, is there anyway to get from the West Coast to JNB in three segments? If I have to go the Eastern way, so be it, but I want to die trying!

Thanks again.

West coast to JNB?
I can name that song in 2 segments...

LAX-SIN SQ 11 (one stop in NRT)
SIN-JNB SQ 478

Until Tuesday when the 77W (no F or C awards) replaces the 744:
SFO-SIN SQ 1 (one stop in HKG)
SIN-JNB SQ 478

Tons of options on *A if there is availability:

2 segments
- PHL-FRA-JNB (US/LH) would be the simplest route
- EWR-SIN-JNB (SQ) would be nice if you can score this one

3 segments
- PHL-LAX/SFO-SIN-JNB (US/SQ)

4 segments:
- PHL-LAX/SFO/JFK-NRT-SIN (US/UA)
- PHL-LAX-BKK-SIN-JNB (US/TG/SQ)

Not possible as SQ does not offer *A award seats on SQ 21.

SFO SQ option ends on Tuesday as both daily SQ flights become 77Ws where SQ does not offer F or C *A award seats.

OP will need to avoid all SQ 77W and 345 equipment where SQ only offers Y award seats to *A partners.

but SQ25 is, JFK-FRA-SIN...

there is no such thing as a Y seat on the 345s anymore...

There is a non-stop LAX-SIN on SQ37 all business class. It's only 18.5 hours!

and its also a 345, with no award seats...

Since your original plan was 5 segments, you only need to drop one. My choice would be to keep all the Asian cities by driving (or otherwise paying my way) to New York: JFK-ICN-BKK-SIN-JNB.

You could also go:

IAD-SIN (with stop in NRT) on UA or NH - JNB (on SQ)
IAD-JNB (non-stop) on SA

Thank you for your suggestion ... that is what I will do. I didn't even know about the JFK-ICN route - I was able to put a first class ticket on hold on OZ on a 747. Depending on the type, only 10 or 12 of those first class seats exist on the planes, so again, thanks for bringing that one to my attention!